Mulling it Over - Romans 8:12-13

This week’s Mulling it Over passage is going to continue to look at Romans chapter 8. The book of Romans is full of doctrine that relates specifically to our standing before God without Christ and with Christ. It deals, in detail, with the flesh versus the Spirit and how that plays out in our lives culminating either in the devastation and destruction of the one (flesh), or the fullness and life of the other (Spirit).

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Today I am only going to look at two verses.

“12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—
13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ”

— Romans 8:12-13 (NASB 1995)

Verse 12 tells us, “…we are under obligation…” What does it mean to be under obligation? Being obligated means I have a duty or responsibility to someone or something. In this case Paul is telling us we have a responsibility “…not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.” We are duty bound to not be living according to the flesh. That sounds pretty serious, doesn’t it? The next verse tells us why.

Verse 13 begins with a devastating statement. “For if you are living according to the flesh, you must die…” Whoa! Now wait a minute. How can we not be living according to the flesh? We are, after all, walking in our skin, or flesh. In a manner of speaking we are always living in the flesh.

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The idea of “living according to the flesh” isn’t speaking just of the physical, fleshly body we are stuck in while on this earth. Living according to the flesh, means that we are letting our flesh rule our lives. We are living for our desires, our passions, our lusts and our self. We want what we want, when we want it. If you are a Christ follower and think you no longer live according to the flesh, don’t fool yourself. We are in a constant state of dying at all times. Look at the rest of verse 13.

“…But if, by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the the body, you will live.” The tense of the word “putting” means we are doing it on a regular basis. If it had been in the past, it would have said, “…if, by the Spirit you put to death…” This would have changed the meaning making it that we only had to put our flesh to death once.

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Before you get discouraged let’s remember what Christ did on the cross. Verse 3 of Roman’s 8 reminds us that God sent his own Son to condemn sin in the flesh. Jesus was made flesh for us and then put to death for us. The moment we align ourselves with Christ we have His blood covering us and giving us the ability to die to sin, and flesh. We are dead, because of what sin has done, but alive because of what Christ has done.

How do we put this flesh to death on a regular basis? If you are like me, you might find yourself easily sliding into old habits like feeling sorry for yourself, thinking you are not enough, turning to food or purchasing items to make you feel better. These are all “fleshly” rather than “Spiritual” forms of coping. I am learning, to battle and put to death the flesh there are several things I need to do.

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1 - Keep short accounts. Checking in with God regularly helps me to keep my mind and heart where it needs to be and keeps me from focusing on the flesh.

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2 - Find some accountability. I have a good friend that I know I can text any time and she will pray for and with me. I also have a group of women I meet with virtually once a week for a Bible study, that I know I could check in with any one of them if I am struggling with my flesh.

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3 - Memorize God’s word. This is one I don’t do nearly enough, in fact hardly at all, and of that I am ashamed. God’s word is our sword, and if you want a quick way to put your flesh to death, the sword of the Spirit is it.

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4 - Pray without ceasing. You all know this from 1 Thessalonians 5:17, but we need to make it a reality in our lives. Praying doesn’t have to be an on your knees posture. It isn’t about physical posture, but heart posture, although, getting on my knees or even flat on my face on the floor does wonders for my prayer life and for my dying to the flesh.

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5 - My sister-in-law gave me some great advice, which she had gotten from a book she was reading, take life 24 hours at a time. When you wake up in the morning, before you even get out of bed, dedicate the next 24 hour period to God, submitting to His divine appointments. Sometimes, life just doesn’t go as planned, but when we begin to see that each 24 hour day is a gift from Him, even the bad stuff can be used for our growth and His glory. This is Spirit living, not flesh living.

Believe me ladies when I say, I am struggling right now to live in the Spirit rather than the flesh, but even taking the time to mull over these two verses has brought me back to His center, and that is the only way we can really live.

Next month we will delve deeper into Romans 8.

Relentless - Part 6: Home

Laney, could hear the steady beep, beep, beep of the machine monitoring her heart. She knew where she was, and what was going on. She was dying, but an amazing peace surrounded her, a living, breathing presence. She thought back to all those years ago, the night Steve walked out on her; the night the Shadowed Ones tried to get her to take her life; the night she met her unborn daughter. That night she had given her heart back to its maker; the King.

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“GG?” A sweet, young voice called her name and she could feel the tender hand on her own. She opened her eyes.

Her youngest great grandchild stood next to her hospital bed. He was only eight, but his faith in the King was as strong and as deep as a mighty tree. She smiled at him.

“Silas.” Her voice came out in a raspy whisper.

“GG? Are you going to see Him? Are you going to see the King?” His eyes were wide with hopeful, childlike anticipation.

Laney managed a nod. “Yes, sweetheart. Yes I am.”

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Laney turned her head and saw the room filled with her family. She could see Steve in every single one of them. The thought made her smile. Steve hadn’t really given up on her, just like the King and His Son, he relentlessly pursued her.

For a long time she carried the guilt of her abortion, and it made seeing Steve even harder, but gradually, time, and the King’s soothing words reminded her she was forgiven. She was made new, and nothing ever captured her attention again, like His love.

Silas squeezed her hand. “GG, when you get there can you tell Gpa I miss him? Can you also say hi to Cocoa, and Nut?”

Laney managed a soft chuckle as she thought about the last two dogs she and Steve had rescued. The grandkids had been a little older than Silas when they adopted a dark brown puppy from a puppy mill, and a fluffy, white, very busy puppy from the Humane Society.

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“Silas, I will tell them, and I’ll tell Myles, Sophie, Frito, and Chip.”

Silas’ brow wrinkled. “Were those your doggies when you were younger?”

“Oh, yes, Silas. Myles and Sophie were the dogs who helped rescue me. Frito and Chip were your dad and Aunt Evi’s dogs as they grew up.”

Steven Jr. stepped forward and put his hands gently on Silas’ shoulders. “Come on, bud. We need to let Gram rest.”

Silas squeezed her hand one more time then let his father lead him a way from the bed. Laney looked at all of the blessings the King had given her. His grace and mercy showed in every single face that stood in that room.

She lifted her hand towards her son. “Steven, come.”

Steven stepped to the bed and put his arm around his mother lifting her so she could see everyone.

“I love every single one of you, and I know you love me. You all know my story, because I never want you to go down the road I did…to run away from the King. No matter what happens in your lives, only He is truly trustworthy, and loves you completely. He alone makes you exactly who you are supposed to be. Always remember.”

Laney leaned back weakly on her son’s arm, and he gently placed her head on the pillow. “Good bye, Mom. We’ll see you again.”

Her daughter, Evi, came over and kissed Laney’s forehead, her tears anointing her mother for her last journey.

Laney closed her eyes.

* * * * * * * * *

When Laney woke, the first thing she felt was warmth. It was as though she was laying on a glorious Mediterranean beach, the sun beaming down on her with a gentle breeze blowing across her skin. She took a breath and realized she could breath without pain, and she could smell. A million different scents blended together filling her with a joy she had never known. She opened her eyes.

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She found herself in a garden, one that caused all the Better Homes and Gardens winners to look faded and tiny in comparison. She sat up. She was on a blanket, and laid out beside her was a picnic complete with gingham napkins, a wicker basket, and food that looked like nothing she had ever seen before. She felt her stomach growl. What a glorious feeling after years of having no appetite.

“Laney.”

She looked up. There stood Steve, and her daughter Elena. They had decided to name her, after they had gotten back together. Both of them looked radiant. Stepping out from behind them was the King, His Son, and their presence, Arabella. Arabella was luminescent, as though a million stars filled her very being.

The Son came to her and reached out His hand. “Laney, we are so glad you are here. We have been waiting for you.”

Love, all at once a force, a thought, a breath, a place, an entity clothed her as His hand touched hers.

She was home.

Mulling It Over - Romans 8:5-8

I wanted to get back to our Romans 8 passage that I started in my Mulling It Over series. Due to a busy week last week, I did not get to this post, so I am going to forego the Faith Inspiration post for this month, so we can get back to the Scriptures. There is so much in this passage, that it is like going to a buffet and being overwhelmed by all the choices. The best way to approach it is a bite at a time. Today we are going to look at verses 5 through 8.

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The first two sections we covered reminded us of our position in Christ Jesus and showed us, in Him, we are no longer condemned. Paul reiterates the weakness of the law and flesh, and the need for Jesus’ perfect sacrifice, which brought about a new covenant. Today’s verses go deeper.

“5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,
7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,
8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

— Romans 8:5-8 (NASB 1995)

Let’s do a compare and contrast chart:

Flesh

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• Death

• Hostile towards God

• Not willing to subject itself to the law of God

• Not able to subject itself to the law of God

• Cannot please God

Spirit

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• Life

• Peace

• Not hostile towards God

• Willing AND able to subject itself to the law of God

• Can please God

Besides the obvious differences between the Flesh and the Spirit, there is an underlying current; the current of the will. The one who is living according to the flesh sets his/her mind on the things of the flesh. The one who is living according to the Spirit sets his/her mind on the things of the Spirit. What does this mean? How do we know what things are of the flesh and what things are of the Spirit? Let’s start by looking at simple definitions.

Flesh - the physical nature of human beings; human nature (other definitions include the soft parts of the body, the skin, the edible parts of an animal.)

Spirit - an animating or vital principle held to give life to physical organisms; a supernatural being - as in Holy Spirit; the activating or essential principle influencing a person; a person having a character or disposition of a specified nature.

For the purpose of this post the flesh represents anything having to do with living in this physical world: feelings, desires, needs, and the skin we are in. The spirit, on the other hand represents anything in a spiritual realm or in correlation to knowing and living for God.

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What, then, does it mean to live according to the flesh by setting our minds on the flesh? Simply put, living according to the flesh is a living a life only for the fulfillment of the flesh. That doesn’t necessarily mean a hedonistic lifestyle of orgies and self gratification. Living for the fulfillment of the flesh can look as innocent as having that six figure salary so you can buy the big house, get the cool car in the color you want, or have the walk in closet of you dreams. Living for the flesh can be seeking greater worldly knowledge through higher education, not for the purpose of knowing things, but because knowing things makes us worthwhile. You see, living according to the flesh makes “ME” and what I want the highest priority.

We can be a born again believer and still be walking in the flesh. Remember it says, “…set their minds on…” What am I setting my mind on? How often do you wake up in the wee hours of the morning and start to worry and fret? How many times during the day do I find myself listening to secular music, or watching shows that might be somewhat questionable? How many pills, classes, diets, and advice columns do I regularly ingest just so I don’t have to feel pain, or sadness, or anxiety, or have to be reminded that I am not enough?

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On the other hand, living according to the spirit and having our minds set on the spirit is to seek the fulfillment of God’s desires. It is a striping away of the fleshly, worldly concerns so that they may be replaced with the knowledge and wisdom that comes from an Almighty and loving God. This does not mean that we don’t take care of ourselves or that we cannot enjoy so many wonderful things that life has to offer. In contrast it means that we carry those things loosely, and with gratitude, because we know they could be gone in a moment and from whom they come.

God’s Word is clear, if we set our minds on the flesh it will result in death and in outright or eventual hostility towards God. Can you hear Satan’s voice in your ear, just like it was in Eve’s ear, "Surely, you won’t die…I mean everyone dies, but why not enjoy life while you can, after all, you deserve it! You work hard. You try to be good, and you are redeemed right? You can’t do anything that God hasn’t already forgiven you for….” On, and on the manipulation goes.

God’s Word is also clear, if we set our minds on the Spirit it means life and peace. Isn’t that what we are all craving? A life of abundant peace? Sure it’s great to have things, and to experience life to the fullest, but within the gentle constraints of His Spirit. When we start pushing against those constraints to fulfill the desires of our flesh, and start regularly setting our minds on the flesh, our peace will disappear like the morning dew as the heat of day intensifies.

The desire of our hearts should be to please God. The best way to do that is to set our minds on the things of the Spirit.

Thoughts on Dia de los Muertos

I thought it might be interesting to take a look at the historical back ground of Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead. This holiday has long been celebrated in Mexico as a unique and colorful event to honor and remember relatives who have died. When the Spaniards introduced Catholicism to Mexico, the native peoples decided to blend the new religion with the old and came up with this festival celebrating the Aztec goddess, Mictecacihuatl (goddess of death) and the Catholic traditions of All Saints Day (remembering our loved ones who have gone to heaven) and All Souls Day (praying for all souls). These three remembrances, are celebrated on October 31st, November 1st and 2nd.

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The reason I began to take an interest in Dia de los Muertos was because of my grandson and the movie Coco. If you have not seen that movie, it is a fun, family film with good music, action and some very moving moments about the love between family, both the living and the dead. In true Dia de los Muertos tradition Miguel’s dead relatives are able to cross over on that one day to visit their living relatives. The living relatives do not know they are there, but the idea is that in remembering them, they are kept alive, even beyond the veil, or the bridge as it is portrayed in this movie.

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Obviously, as a Christ follower, I do not believe that our relatives are all having a party over on the other side. I believe the spiritual realm to be a bit more complex and holy, because of the God who reigns there. I also believe that not everyone, necessarily ends up in the “good place” (another show, that I would recommend watching, because it is funny and it has some very thought provoking philosophical and moral content. Only for adults.) Death is part of this life, but it wasn’t supposed to be. The psalmist knew this reality of death.

“Truly no man can ransom another,
or give to God the price of his life,
8 for the ransom of their life is costly
and can never suffice,
9 that he should live on forever
and never see the pit.

10 For he sees that even the wise die;
the fool and the stupid alike must perish
and leave their wealth to others.
11 Their graves are their homes forever,
their dwelling places to all generations,
though they called lands by their own names.
12 Man in his pomp will not remain;
he is like the beasts that perish.”

— Psalm 49:7-12 (ESV)

The psalmist knew that one day every single one of us will see death. There is no way out of it. You can search for the fountain of youth, but that didn’t work out very well for Donovan, did it?

You can also eat healthy, exercise and do everything in your power to live to be as old as you can, but the reality is, you will still die. Death is something we all have in common. Death can be scary. The process or the thought of how we will die can be overwhelming, but death is part of life.

The book of Romans in the New Testament of the Bible talks about another death, the spiritual one.

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—”

— Romans 5:12 (ESV)

This death is the one that not only separates us on that bridge from our loved ones, but separates us from the God who created us, the Savior who loved enough to die for us and the Spirit who so willingly comes to dwell with and in us.

The good news is, in the same way Miguel found out in CoCo, that in remembering, his relatives lived on, it is in our remembering and partaking of the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that we too will live on forever in our spiritual bodies with Him.

It is easy, as Christians to find fault with every religion and way of thinking other than our own, but what we need to do is examine each thing that comes into our lives with God’s microscope, learning what we can from every situation and thought process that we encounter. For me, I am going to celebrate Dias de los Muertos, by remembering in two ways.

1 - Remembering Jesus.

It was Jesus that made it possible for us to cross the bridge that separated us from our Creator. His shed blood on the cross is the payment that had to be made to stand before a Holy, Pure God.

“For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.”

— Romans 6:5 (ESV)

“We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.”

— Romans 6:9 (ESV)

“For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.”

— Romans 6:10 (ESV)

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

— Romans 6:23 (ESV)

2 - Celebrating those who have gone on before us.

I find the idea of remembering my relatives an exciting prospect. My grandson knows very little about my father, who had passed away four years before Quintin was born. I thought it would be fun to share old photos and have some of my dad’s favorite snacks. like salty, hot buttered popcorn, and pretzel sticks. It might not be a bad idea to make Dias de los Muertos a regular part of our family celebrations as a way to share memories, food, fun, laughter and love.